The Journey of Rolf Scamander at Hogwarts and Beyond
by coffeeaddict91
Summary: Follow Rolf Scamander in his journey at Hogwarts and into his career. Eventual Rolf/Luna. Will follow canon events, pairings, deaths, etc. I will try to tie up some of the loose ends that weren't tied in the books.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Anything you recognize is not mine, including dialogue, characters, etc.

* * *

Rolf Scamander jumped out of bed at precisely five in the morning, hurriedly threw on his new school robes, and raced down the stairs. He banged on the door of his parents' bedroom, shouting "It's time! It's time to go to the station! We're going to be late! Mum! Dad!" He kept banging until his father pulled the door open, hair still mussed and robe hanging lopsided on his arms, staring at his son.

"You do realize, Rolf, that we have six hours before the Express leaves?" Ivan Scamander said, amusement evident.

Rolf huffed. "But Grandma Tina and Grandpa Newt are coming! They'll be here any minute!"

His mother came to the door, clutching her robe around her. "Sweety, go and feed the puffskeins and the jobberknolls. We'll be down in a few minutes." Rolf raced away. "And don't run on the stairs!" Gwendolyn Scamander yelled to her son.

"Yes, mum!" Rolf yelled as he ran out the front door. He finished quickly with the jobberknolls and puffskeins, and continued on to the swamp at the edge of the property, throwing in a handful of Mandrake parts. He watched as the dugbogs swarmed the plants, leaving nothing behind. The more aquatic creatures had long since been Rolf's favorite, and he had been trying to talk his father around into adding a pond to their property in order to acquire a grindelow or two. Thus far, his father had refused adamantly, insisting that his father had once kept several grindelows which had ended up killing all of his kappas. But Rolf didn't care; they didn't have any kappas to worry about anyway.

He was half-way to the hippogriff pasture when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Grandpa Newt!" Rolf dropped the bucket of dead ferrets and ran back toward the house.

"And who is this?" the elder Scamander asked, looking puzzled. "You look familiar, but..."

"Grandpa it's me! Rolf!"

"No, no, no. My grandson Rolf is much smaller than you, I'm afraid." Newt Scamander sighed. "You look like you're nearing Hogwarts age, you know... You can't be little Rolf Scamander."

"Grandpa!"

"Newton, don't harass the poor boy," Porpentina Scamander said with a sigh.

Newt Scamander grinned, placing both hands on his grandson's shoulders. "So you are. My apologies."

Rolf grinned and gave both of his grandparents a huge hug, and started pulling them both out toward the hippogriff pasture.

"I'm trying to get everything done before mum and dad get out here. I can't wait to get to Hogwarts! No one will tell me how we're sorted, though. Even the MacMillan's won't tell! Grandpa Newt, please please please tell me!"

"Well, you see..." His wife slapped his arm. "I can't, Rolf, or your grandma will never forgive me."

"Just whisper, she'll never know!"

"You, Mr. Scamander, are a bad influence on this boy," Tina said, rolling her eyes at her husband.

Ivan and Gwen Scamander found the three inside the hippogriff enclosure, Newt roaring with laughter as Tina tickled Rolf, who by now was seated in the mud, covered practically from head to toe.

Ivan started laughing as well, though Gwen was not amused. "Those are brand new robes! Rolf, get up this instant!"

"Mum, let him up," Ivan said, still chuckling.

Tina smiled. "Ivan, Gwen, lovely to see the both of you."

"It's been much too long, mum," Ivan said, giving her a hug. "And dad, next time, please tell someone before running off out of the country! Rolf was beside himself when he couldn't find the two of you last month."

Newt gave a sad smile. "Yes, sorry about that. I had heard tell of poachers in Nepal hunting the Demiguise population to near extinction. I had to see if there was anything I could do."

Tina narrowed her eyes. "Yes, and that duel you got yourself into was completely reckless, no matter what you say."

"That curse barely grazed me, Tina!"

"You were bleeding for two days!"

"I am fine though, aren't I?"

"Two days, Newt!"

"You worry far too much."

"And you, not nearly enough!"

The others looked back and forth between the two as if watching a quidditch match. Finney, the hippogriff closest, finally nudged Tina's arm, breaking up the argument. Tina reached up and stroked her beak.

* * *

The Scamander family took the floo to King's Cross at ten thirty. It would give them plenty of time to get Rolf on the train, his trunk into a compartment, and to let him meet up with his friend and neighbor, Ernie MacMillan. While Ivan Scamander loaded Rolf's trunk onto the train, Rolf hung back to talk to his grandfather.

"What house do you think I'll be in, Grandpa?"

Newt looked at his grandson a moment before answering. "Whatever house you are in, you will do them proud."

"But what if I'm not in Hufflepuff? What if I'm in..."

"It's best not to worry, Rolf. It makes you suffer twice."

"But what if, though. What if I'm the first Scamander not to be in Hufflepuff?"

"You wouldn't be the first. Your mum was a Ravenclaw, you know that."

"But she's a Kershaw, not a Scamander!" Rolf reminded him.

"You know, my own grandfather was a Gryffindor, as was my brother. You've met your great-uncle Theseus, haven't you?"

"Yes, but he's so..." Rolf broke off, looking away. He knew he shouldn't insult his own uncle, but the man was so arrogant!

Newt looked into his grandson's eyes. "You are a good person, Rolf. The best person I know. You are loyal and dedicated. And if you're not a Hufflepuff, no one will think anything bad about you."

"What if I'm a Slytherin, though?"

Newt smiled. "Then you will prove everyone wrong about Slytherin house. You'll be the kindest, smartest, bravest Slytherin in the school."

Rolf grimaced. "I just hope I'm a Hufflepuff like you and dad."

"Don't let your mum hear you say that."

Rolf grinned. "She knows I'm not going into Ravenclaw. Can't sit still long enough to read all day!"

"I heard that!" Gwen called, and Rolf's grin widened.

He gave a hug to each of his family members, and when he reached his grandfather, Newt whispered into his ear, "We'll be proud of whichever house you're sorted into. Remember that."

The whistle blew, giving the students a five-minute warning before the train would leave. Rolf headed for the train, looking out for his friend, Ernie MacMillan, but the other was nowhere to be found. He waved out the window of an empty compartment, watching as his family disappeared behind him. He was on his way to Hogwarts at last.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Anything you recognize is not mine, including dialogue, characters, etc.

* * *

Rolf found an empty compartment and sat for a while. He saw a family of centaurs on the edge of a forest. He was watching them avidly, when the glass door slid open, revealing three boys, one slim and blonde, the other two thick with dark hair.

"This is my compartment," the blonde said, nose in the air. "Get out."

"No reason we can't share," Rolf said with a grin. He stood up and held out his hand. "I'm Rolf Scamander."

The blonde stared at the hand as if it was covered in slime. "Scamander? As in the creature lovers?"

Rolf swallowed, and the grin became forced. "That's right." He kept his hand out. "And you are?"

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. This is Crabbe and Goyle. Now get out."

Rolf dropped his hand at last. "There's no need to be rude, you know."

Malfoy just stared at him, a scowl on his face. "Out, Scamander. Now."

Crabbe and Goyle started cracking their knuckles, and Rolf swallowed. "Catch more flies with honey, you know."

He dodged Goyle's arm and left the compartment, a frown on his face. He went from compartment to compartment, looking for a familiar face. He found Ernie MacMillan in a compartment with a boy with curly brown hair, a bushy haired girl, and a chubby boy with dark brown hair. He knocked once and opened the glass door.

Ernie looked up and, seeing Rolf, grinned. "I was looking for you before, couldn't find you anywhere. Where were you?"

Rolf grinned. "Found a compartment in the front and stayed put. Saw some centaurs out the window, started wondering what else I'd see."

"I thought you'd missed the train."

"Nah, grandma and grandpa came back from Nepal just in time to see me off. I was up at five."

Rolf and Ernie sat down. "This is Justin Finch-Fletchley," he gestured at the curly-haired boy, "Neville Longbottom," he pointed at the other boy, "and Hermione Granger," he pointed at the girl. "This is Rolf Scamander," he told them. "We're neighbors. Known each other long as I can remember."

The two boys nodded at him in welcome, and the girl said, "Scamander? Like the author?"

"That'd be my grandfather. He wrote one of the textbooks we needed this year."

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I've read it twice already. Did he really go search out all of those creatures and study them for the book? Or did he get information from other zoologists? How could he find the time to do it? Doesn't he work for the ministry?" Hermione Granger barely took a breath while she spoke.

Rolf blinked a few times and swallowed hard. It was always hard meeting new people, and this girl was very... talkative. "Erm... He took a... a sabbatical of sorts. Years ago. Before I was born. I mean... erm... yes, he studied them himself. He... erm... he works for the ministry now. Well, he did then too. But they arranged for him to travel. Well, not travel, exactly, but to... to find and study the creatures."

Ernie was looking at him funny. He had never seen Rolf so... flustered. Rolf could feel himself turning red, so he started fiddling with his wand, which he kept in his pocket closest to his left hand.

"And it's not zoology. It's magizoology." Granger opened her mouth, but Rolf continued. "The study of magical creatures."

"Oh, I didn't know that was a different field. There's so much I don't know. I'll probably be the worst in class."

The curly-haired boy, Finch-Fletchley, spoke up. "Don't worry too much. My parents don't have magic either. We're both starting from the beginning."

"There's loads of muggleborns at Hogwarts. You'll both catch up easy," Ernie told them both.

Longbottom sighed. "My Gran thought I was nonmagic. Didn't show any signs at all till I was eight."

Rolf smiled at him. "You'll be fine! Just think, we're finally on our way to Hogwarts!"

Longbottom cringed. "Bet I'll be in Hufflepuff."

Ernie glared at him. "What's wrong with Hufflepuff?"

Longbottom swallowed hard, blushing. "I... I didn't mean..."

"Ernie, let him be. We all know Longbottoms are always Gryffindors, just like Scamanders and MacMillans are always Hufflepuffs."

Granger was watching the conversation with interest. "So I know Gryffindor is for the brave, Ravenclaw is for the witty, Hufflepuff is for the loyal, and Slytherin is for the ambitious. Am I right?"

"Pretty much," Rolf said.

"So what would be so bad about Hufflepuff?" she asked.

"My parents were in Gryffindor," Longbottom said sadly. "But I'm not brave."

"Your family should be happy wherever you go," Rolf said kindly, trying to make the other worry less.

"You never met my Gran," he answered, grimacing.

"Besides, if you are in Hufflepuff, you'll be with Ernie and me, most likely."

"Someone told me Slytherins are all dark wizards," Finch-Fletchley added. "Is that true?"

"There were a lot of dark wizards that came from Slytherin, but I don't think all of them go dark," Rolf answered.

Ernie rolled his eyes. "We all know that the dark wizards come from Slytherin, the know-it-alls are in Ravenclaw, and the arrogant berks are Gryffindors."

"You forgot that the Hufflepuffs are the idiotic pushovers," Rolf added with a grin.

Ernie glared at him.

"All the houses have good and bad wizards in them, my grandad says. You can't tell much about a person just from their house."

The door slid open, and they saw a woman with a cart full of candy. "Anything off the trolley, dears?"

Everyone stood up, though Hermione Granger took one look at the jelly slugs and chocolate frogs and sat back down; her face had a greenish tint.

They all pooled their candy together and started eating it. Rolf convinced Hermione to try a licorice wand, which she seemed to enjoy. When Justin Finch-Fletchley picked up a chocolate frog, he said, "Tell me this isn't a real frog."

"It's just a spell," Ernie assured him. "It's pure chocolate. But it's the card you want anyway."

Justin pulled open the frog and gasped as it wriggled out of his hands and leaped away. Rolf caught it in midair, passing it back to Justin.

"They only ever have one big jump in them. Always a shock the first time you see one," Rolf said with a grin.

"What card did you get?" Ernie asked, peering over at the card.

"Artemisia Lufkin," Justin answered, flipping the card over. "In 1798, Artemisia Lufkin was the first witch to become Minister for Magic." He turned the card back over. "She's gone!"

"Magical pictures move, Justin," Rolf told him.

Hermione gasped. "Like they're alive?"

"Only portraits can talk, but all pictures move," Ernie answered for him.

Rolf picked up two boxes of Every Flavored Beans and dumped them into his hat, shaking it slightly. "Let's play a game. We each take one, without looking, and eat it. We have to guess what the flavor is."

"Every flavor?" Justin asked.

"Yep," Rolf said with a grin. "Peppermint, fudge, dirt, grass, vomit... anything you can think of."

"Vomit?" Hermione asked.

Rolf grinned and passed her the hat first. She pulled out a blue one and nibbled the corner. "I think this is... soap maybe?" She pulled a napkin from her pocket and wrapped the bean in it.

Ernie was next. He pulled a yellow one: earwax. He spit it into an empty jelly slug bag.

Justin pulled a green one and got apple, which he seemed happy with compared to the others.

Neville got chocolate, which made everyone jealous.

Rolf swallowed hard when he saw the orange bean in his hand, thinking the worst. He nibbled it, then popped it into his mouth. "Mango," he said with a grin.

They continued for a while, sharing several laughs at one another's expense. They ran out eventually, however, and they started flipping through their books. Justin was looking at Hermione's copy of Hogwarts A History, while Ernie and Neville were reading One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, Hermione was reading Magical Theory, and Rolf flipped aimlessly through Standard Book of Spells, Grade One.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Anything you recognize is not mine, including dialogue, characters, etc.

Ernie looked at Hermione and Justin. "You two had better change into your robes. We'll probably arrive soon."

Justin pulled his robes from his trunk, and Hermione followed suit. The two looked at one another, and Hermione said quietly, "I'll just..." She left the compartment with her robes, clearly headed for the loo. Justin changed quickly into his robes and, after about five minutes, Hermione returned.

Neville Longbottom suddenly started looking around the compartment. "Does anyone see a toad anywhere?"

The others scanned the room, and Rolf peered under the seats. No one found him.

"I can't have lost him already." Neville looked miserable.

They all decided to look around the train, as the toad had most likely escaped when the door had been opened.

Ernie stayed in the compartment to make sure no one else tried to claim it. The others started going door to door, asking anyone if they had seen Neville's toad. The boys all came back empty handed, but Hermione was nowhere to be found.

"Gran's gonna kill me," Neville said sadly.

"We'll find him, Neville," Rolf said kindly. If you know you had him when you got on the train, then you know he's here somewhere. Most likely, he's hiding. Amphibians tend to like darker, wetter places. Did anyone check in the loo?"

Hermione entered the compartment, a smile on her face. "I just met Harry Potter!"

Ernie looked up at her immediately. "Really? Potter's here?"

"He's a first-year like us," she said. "He's a few compartments down."

Justin frowned. "Who's Harry Potter?"

"The boy who lived," Neville answered in awe. Justin still looked confused.

"The one who defeated You-Know-Who!" Ernie said, excitement in his voice.

"I don't know who you're talking about," Justin said. "Muggleborn, remember?"

"You-Know-Who was a dark wizard who was active around the time we were born. Everyone only calls him 'You-Know-Who, because there was a curse on his name," Hermione answered. "Harry Potter defeated him as a baby. No one knows how."

"Some dark wizard, if he was defeated by a baby," Justin said smirking.

"He was," Neville said in a quiet voice. "He was very powerful. And he had powerful followers. He killed a lot of people."

"But he was defeated by a baby!" Justin said.

"That's all people know, though. No one knows how he was defeated. He tried to kill Potter and was destroyed in the process. He took out Potter's parents, but couldn't kill him," Rolf told the story in the simplest terms possible.

They sat quietly for a few minutes, and a voice came over the loudspeaker. "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately. "

"We're going to attend classes with Harry Potter!" Neville said excitedly.

"Bet he's a Gryffindor, though," Ernie said.

"Never know. Maybe you will be, too," Rolf said, winking at his friend.

The train slowed and stopped, and the five were some of the last off of the train.

"Any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now!" The man greeting them was definitely not all human. He was about at least the height of two fully grown men, and probably the width of about five. Rolf followed the man, though he could see Justin and Hermione pulling back slightly. "Firs' years follow me!"

The first years followed the man down a steep, narrow path. It was dark, and Neville kept tripping slightly and sniffing.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec, jus' round this bend here," the man said.

Just as they turned the corner, everyone got a sight of the castle. Rolf's mouth dropped slightly, and a loud "Oooh!" was heard. They were standing on the edge of a barge lake, and on the other side, a huge castle was built on a mountain top, standing against a backdrop of stars. Rolf felt as if his smile would never fade.

There was a fleet of boats, and by the time it was their turn, they discovered they would have to split up. Rolf, Justin, and Ernie joined another boy whose name, they later discovered, was Terry Boot. Neville and Hermione joined Harry Potter and a red-haired boy that Rolf was fairly sure was a Weasley, as he had seen him with his family on the platform.

"No more'n four to a boat!" The man called out; he had a boat to himself. "Everyone in? Right then. Forward!" he shouted, and the fleet moved off at once. "Heads down!" he called, as they passed under a curtain of ivy, which apparently led to an underground tunnel beneath the castle.

The group climbed out of the boats and ascended a set of stone steps. The man brought Neville's toad to him and knocked three times on the huge oak door, which swung open almost immediately, showing a tall witch in emerald robes. Rolf swallowed hard, wondering if this was the teacher that his father had warned him about; she was fair, but very strict.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," the man said. Rolf knew that name; it was the one his father had spoken of.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

The first-years followed Professor McGonagall into a side room, and she told them that the Sorting Ceremony would take place soon. "I suggest you smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting," she added, looking at Weasley and Neville.

"Anyone know how we're sorted?" Justin whispered to Ernie and Rolf, both of whom shook their heads.

Suddenly, the room was filled with ghosts, who seemed to be arguing before noticing the students.

"New students!" one of them said happily. "About to be sorted, I suppose?" Rolf and a few others nodded. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" the ghost said. "My old home, you know."

"Move along now," Professor McGonagall had returned. "Now form a line and follow me," she added, and they rushed to do so. Rolf was in front of Justin and behind the Weasley boy. The hall they entered was enormous, bigger than anything Rolf had seen before. And the roof was made of the stars. He recognized the charm as one similar to the way his grandpa's suitcase worked, as it showed the same sky that was outdoors at that exact moment. He heard Hermione whispering about it.

Professor McGonagall placed a short tool in the front of them, and on it, she placed an old hat. And the hat... began to sing.

 _"Oh you may not think I'm pretty, But don't judge on what you see,_

 _I'll eat myself if you can find a smarter hat than me._

 _You can keep your bowlers black, Your top hats sleek and tall,_

 _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat and I can cap them all._

 _There's nothing hidden in your head the Sorting Hat can't see,_

 _So try me on and I will tell you where you ought to be._

 _You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart,_

 _Their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff, where they are just and loyal,_

 _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind,_

 _Where those of wit and learning, will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin you'll make your real friends,_

 _Those cunning folks use any means to achieve their ends._

 _So put me on! Don't be afraid! and don't get in a flap!_

 _You're in safe hands (though I have none) for I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The whole hall broke out in applause as it bowed to each table and fell silent. Rolf overheard Weasley say something about battling a troll and fought the urge to roll his eyes. First-years fighting a troll? Insanity.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," Professor McGonagall said.

"Abbott, Hannah." The girl sat down, and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head. After a moment, the hat shouted "Hufflepuff," and she was sent to the table on the far right. "Bones, Susan" was sent to Hufflepuff as well, followed by "Boot, Terry" into Ravenclaw. The sorting continued, making "Entwhistle, Kevin" into Hufflepuff and "Granger, Hermione" into Gryffindor, followed soon after by "Jones, Megan" into Hufflepuff and "Longbottom, Neville" into Gryffindor.

Rolf was getting jittery at this point, so started looking around at the other first years that he hadn't really had the chance to see. He knew he would be toward the end anyway since his name started with an S. He found Potter in the crowd, as well as a few others who he had met once or twice, including Blaise Zabini who he had met at Flourish and Blotts two weeks previously.

"Malfoy, Draco" was sent instantly to Slytherin, while "MacMillan, Ernest" and "Moon, Lily" were both sent to Hufflepuff, "Nott, Theodore" to Slytherin, "Patil, Padma" to Ravenclaw, and "Patil, Parvati to Gryffindor. "Perks, Sally-Anne" was sent to Ravenclaw and then...

"Potter, Harry."

The whole hall went silent as Potter stepped up to the stool. He sat for a full minute, and appeared to be talking to the hat, before finally, "Gryffindor!"

It took a while for the Gryffindor table to quiet down, and Professor McGonagall said, "Scamander, Rolf."

Rolf swallowed hard, and stepped forward, sitting on the stool and placing the hat on his head.

"Scamander, huh?" the hat said. "I've sorted your family for generations. Yes, you're as loyal and hardworking as the rest. And yet just as brave. I'll give you the same choice I gave your father and his. Gryffindor or Hufflepuff?"

Rolf was stunned. His father and grandfather could have been Gryffindors? But he already knew what he would choose.

"So be it," the hat said in his head. "HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted for all to hear.

Rolf grinned as he stood and placed the hat back on the stool. He went over and sat between Ernie and Hannah Abbott.

The rest of the sorting flew by, and before long, Rolf found himself descending a set of stairs with the rest of his housemates, headed for their dormitory.


	4. Chapter 4

As the next days went by, Rolf found himself getting into a ritual. While it was still extremely difficult to find his way around the castle, he found the teachers were typically understanding of the first years' plight. He, Ernie, and Justin, as expected, stuck together most of the time. He found that it was easier for him than for some of the others who had come here knowing no one, as several of their classmates had done.

He knew his way from the Hufflepuff Common Room up to the Great Hall by the end of his third day, but classes… that was another story. He and Ernie followed a few Ravenclaws to Potions the second day of classes, but the second day…

They didn't arrive until ten minutes into the class. Rolf opened the door softly, noting that Professor Snape was speaking. He felt his throat tighten at the look he received as the three of them crowded through the door. Ernie was a lot less quiet than he had been. "Good of you to join us, Mr. McMillan, Mr. Scamander, Mr. Finch-Fletchley," Snape's quiet voice rang out loudly over the silence. "That'll be five points from Hufflepuff. Each. Now find your seats before I make it fifty."

Rolf swallowed hard, making his way to an empty seat, allowing Justin and Ernie to sit together. Snape could be terrifying, but he had faced down creatures that were more so in his own backyard. Ernie, on the other hand, tended to get a bit… edgy when he felt threatened, so it was safer to let him sit with a friend, rather than a complete stranger. Especially with the looks Snape was still sending in their direction every so often.

He found himself beside a Ravenclaw girl whose name he didn't remember. He pulled out parchment and ink and started taking notes on Moonstone, which Professor Snape was talking about. After about twenty minutes of note taking, Snape had them begin working on a potion with their partner.

"I'm Padma," the girl said as she stirred the cauldron. "Padma Patil."

Rolf smiled at her while he sliced caterpillars. "Rolf Scamander," he said, hoping she didn't have the same reaction as that Hermione Granger had on the train. But the girl didn't say much else throughout the lesson, only discussing the potion and what was supposed to be put in next.

"Your potions should be done soon," Snape's voice rang out over the sound of the bubbling cauldron and the whispering students. "You have five minutes to bottle your potion and bring it up to me. individually."

Rolf pulled a vial out of his bag, labeling it with his name. He watched Patil dig around in her bag for her own, but she came up empty-handed. She looked on the verge of panic, so Rolf reached into his own bag for another, putting it in front of her.

"Oh. Thank you so much!" Padma said softly. "I'll repay you, I promise!" She wrote her name on the vial.

"Maybe some time I'll forget one," Rolf said with an unconcerned smile. "Besides, I'd hate for you to fail when you did most of the work on the potion anyway." And it was true, the way Rolf saw it. He prepared the ingredients, but she did the hard part: the actual adding of ingredients and stirring. That part was nerve-wracking. Lose count, and you could have a disaster.

After class, Rolf caught back up to Justin and Ernie, and they were joined by Hannah Abbott and another girl that Rolf believed was Lily Moon. He led them all out of the dungeons and to the great hall, debating with Ernie about whether or not they could earn back the points they had lost from being late to Potions in Charms that afternoon. He thought they could, but Ernie wasn't so sure.

They had Charms immediately after lunch, so the little group of Hufflepuffs went up early, intent on getting to class on time.

"I just don't understand why they can't give first years a map," Justin said.

"The school is unplottable," Ernie answered him. "It can't be put on a map."

"That makes no sense, though," Justin pointed out. "How can something be impossible to put on a map?"

"It's a spell," Rolf explained. "A lot of wizarding places are like that. No one can find them unless they know where to look."

"I still say that makes no sense," Justin said. "Can't they at least tell us which floor something is on, even if they can't map it?"

Rolf grinned. "That would take the adventure out of it," he said. He stepped onto the next set of stairs wrong, however, and stumbled back into the wall tapestry… and kept falling. The wall had vanished. "Hmm… Dad told me there are secret passages. Want to check it out?"

"What, do you want to be late again?" another boy whose name Rolf was pretty was Smith.

"Let's do it," Hannah said. "Not like we're not going to be late anyway at the rate we're going."

So the group followed Rolf through the missing wall, though not without a bit of complaining from Ernie and Smith. After about five minutes, there was another tapestry, which Rolf pushed aside, stepping through. "Looks like it was a good idea after all," he said with a grin.

And sure enough, they were in the Charms corridor. "After you," he said, holding the door for Ernie, who gave him a nasty look as he entered. The two sat side by side, however, as the rest of the group filed in. Smith sat on Rolf's other side, but he didn't look happy about it. He was clearly still annoyed that the secret passage adventure had paid off.

"Hello, everyone," Professor Flitwick called from the front of the classroom. He began to call roll, and once everyone was accounted for, he began explaining to them the various components of the levitation charm. Rolf started copying down notes, hoping to have a chance to earn back the points from before.

But no such luck. By the end of class, only one student, Megan Jones, had earned any points, and it was only five. And they had the afternoon free. Pity.

Rolf left class with Justin and Ernie and grinned. "Free period. Want to explore?" he asked. When the others agreed, he smiled, and they just started walking. When they got to a staircase, he would ask, "up or down," and one of the others would choose. In corridors, they would choose at random whether to go left or right. In this manner, they found the Transfiguration corridor, the stairs to the Astronomy Tower, and something that they were pretty sure was the Ravenclaw common room, but none of the Ravenclaws nearby would confirm it, so they couldn't be sure.

After a while of walking, they decided to go straight downward to find their dormitory. They wanted to drop their books of before dinner. They only got lost once, when they found themselves on the wrong side of the dungeons. Their clue was that they passed the potions classroom. They quickly turned around, as it was said that the Slytherin common room wasn't far from the potions classroom. They really didn't want to be cornered by upper-year Slytherins.

Eventually, though, they found the right corridor. Justin tapped out the pattern on the barrel outside the common room, and they all went in. They dropped their bags off and left immediately. Entering the Great Hall, Rolf and Justin gave a quick wave to Neville Longbottom, who was at the table near Potter and Weasley. He waved back hesitantly, and it made Rolf slightly concerned for the boy he had befriended on the train. But the appearance of the food distracted him, and he dug in.

"Now do they just make the food appear like that?" Justin asked. Clearly, that was bothering him since yesterday, and he only just got the chance to ask.

"House elves, most likely," Susan Bones answered.

"What are they?" Lily Moon asked.

"They're basically these little elves who do the cleaning and cooking for wizards," Ernie explained. "I bet there are loads here."

"What, like servants?" Justin asked.

"Basically," Susan answered him.

Justin didn't look like he knew what to think about that. And before long, dinner was over, and they went back to their dorm. "Night all," Rolf said as he laid down. His roommates answered back, and before long, the room was filled with their snores and quiet breathing.


End file.
